Motherboard assembly

ABSTRACT

A computer motherboard includes an expansion slot that complies with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIEx1 and PCIEx4) specification and an Advance Digital Display 2 lane-reversed (ADD2-R) specification, and that includes a set of conductive pins complying with the Peripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) specification. A riser card may be inserted removably into the expansion slot, and includes a first slot that complies with the PCIEx1 specification, and a second slot that complies with the PCI specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a motherboard assembly, more particularly to a motherboard assembly with an expansion slot that complies with two different specifications.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional computer motherboard includes a pair of expansion slots, each of which complies with a respective one of the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIE) specification and the Advance Digital Display 2 (ADDR-2) specification.

The aforementioned conventional computer motherboard is disadvantageous in that it includes the two separate expansion slots, thereby resulting in a larger size for the computer motherboard and in higher manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a computer motherboard that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.

According to the present invention, a computer motherboard comprises an expansion slot that complies with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express x1 (PCIEx1) specification and an Advance Digital Display 2 lane-reversed (ADD2-R) specification, and that includes a set of conductive pins complying with the Peripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG 1 is a schematic block diagram of the preferred embodiment of a motherboard assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view to illustrate two riser cards that are used in conjunction with an expansion slot of the preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view to illustrate two interface cards that are used in conjunction with an expansion slot of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of a motherboard assembly according to this invention is shown to include a computer motherboard 1, and first and second riser cards 91, 92.

The computer motherboard 1 includes an expansion slot 2, an I/O connector 3, an I/O controller hub (ICH) 4, a graphic memory controller hub (GMCH) 5, a central processing unit (CPU) 6, and a power connector 7.

Since the feature of the present invention does not reside in particular configurations of the I/O connector 3, the ICH 4, the GMCH 5, the CPU 6, and the power connector 7, which are conventional in construction, a detailed description of the same is omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

In this embodiment, the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 complies with the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express x1 (PCIEx1) specification and the Advance Digital Display 2 lane-reversed (ADD2-R) specification, and includes a set of conductive pins that complies with the Peripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) specification. Accordingly, the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 is capable of supporting a PCIEx1 compliant interface card 81 (see FIG. 3) and an ADD2-R compliant interface card 82 (see FIG. 3).

It is noted that the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 has 164 conductive pins, each of which is defined as illustrated in Table 1 below. TABLE 1 Pin Definition Specification Pin Definition Specification A1 RSNT1* PCIEx1 B1 12 V PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A2 12 V PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B2 12 V PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A3 12 V PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B3 12 V PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A4 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B4 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A5 JTAG2 PCIEx1 B5 SMCLK PCIEx1 A6 JTAG3 PCIEx1 B6 SMDAT PCIEx1 A7 JTAG4 PCIEx1 B7 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A8 JTAG5 PCIEx1 B8 VCC3 PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A9 VCC3 PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B9 JTAG1 PCIEx1 A10 VCC3 PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B10 3.3VAUX PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A11 PWRGD PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B11 WAKE# PCIEx1 A12 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B12 RISER_DETECT None A13 REFCLK+ PCIEx1 B13 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A14 REFCLK− PCIEx1 B14 HSOP0 PCIEx1 A15 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B15 HSON0 PCIEx1 A16 HSIP0 PCIEx1 B16 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A17 HSIN0 PCIEx1 B17 SDVO_CTRL_CLK ADD2-R A18 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R B18 GND PCIEx1 and ADD2-R A19 VCC5 PCI B19 −12 V PCI A20 PCI_INTE− PCI B20 VCC5 PCI A21 PCI_INTG− PCI B21 VCC5 PCI A22 VCC5 PCI B22 PCI_INTF− PCI A23 VCC5 PCI B23 PCI_INTH− PCI A24 PCIRST− PCI B24 GND PCI A25 VCC5 PCI B25 PCI_CLK_2 PCI A26 PCI_GNT1− PCI B26 GND PCI A27 GND PCI B27 PCI_CLK_1 PCI A28 PCI_PME− PCI B28 PCI_REQ1− PCI A29 AD30 PCI B29 GND PCI A30 VCC3 PCI B30 AD31 PCI A31 GND PCI B31 SDVO_CTRL_DATA ADD2-R A32 AD28 PCI B32 GND PCI A33 AD26 PCI B33 AD29 PCI A34 AD24 PCI B34 GND PCI A35 GND PCI B35 AD27 PCI A36 AD22 PCI B36 AD25 PCI A37 AD20 PCI B37 VCC3 PCI A38 GND PCI B38 C_BE− (3) PCI A39 AD18 PCI B39 AD23 PCI A40 AD16 PCI B40 GND PCI A41 VCC3 PCI B41 AD21 PCI A42 PCI_FRAME− PCI B42 AD19 PCI A43 GND PCI B43 VCC3 PCI A44 PCI_TRDY− PCI B44 AD17 PCI A45 GND PCI B45 C_BE− (2) PCI A46 PCI_STOP− PCI B46 PCI_IRDY− PCI A47 VCC3 PCI B47 GND PCI A48 GND PCI B48 EXP_EN PCI A49 PCI_PAR PCI B49 GND PCI A50 AD15 PCI B50 VCC3 PCI A51 VCC3 PCI B51 PCI_DEVSEL− PCI A52 AD13 PCI B52 GND PCI A53 AD11 PCI B53 PCI_LOCK− PCI A54 GND PCI B54 PCI_PERR− PCI A55 AD9 PCI B55 VCC3 PCI A56 C_BE− (0) PCI B56 PCI_SERR− PCI A57 VCC3 PCI B57 C_BE− (1) PCI A58 AD6 PCI B58 VCC3 PCI A59 AD4 PCI B59 AD14 PCI A60 GND PCI B60 AD12 PCI A61 AD2 PCI B61 AD10 PCI A62 AD1 PCI B62 AD8 PCI A63 ADO PCI B63 AD7 PCI A64 PCI_REQ2− PCI B64 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A65 PCI_GNT2− PCI B65 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A66 GND PCI and ADD2-R B66 EXP_TXP_12 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_CLK_P A67 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B67 EXP_TXN_12 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_CLK_N A68 EXP_RXP_12 PCIEx4 B68 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A69 EXP_RXN_12 PCIEx4 B69 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A70 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B70 EXP_TXP_13 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_BLUE_P A71 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B71 EXP_TXN_13 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_BLUE_N PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A72 EXP_RXP_13 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B72 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_STALL_P A73 EXP_RXN_13 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B73 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_STALL_N A74 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B74 EXP_TXP_14 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_GREEN_P A75 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B75 EXP_TXN_15 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_GREEN_N A76 EXP_RXP_14 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B76 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_INT_P A77 EXP_RXN_14 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B77 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_INT_N A78 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B78 EXP_TXP_15 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_RED_P A79 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B79 EXP_TXN_15 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R SDVO_RED_N A80 EXP_RXP_15 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B80 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R A81 EXP_RXN_15 PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B81 AD5 PCI A82 GND PCIEx4 and ADD2-R B82 AD3 PCI

The first riser card 91 includes conductive pins 910 and first, second and third slots 911, 912, 913. Each of the conductive pins 910 of the first riser card 91 establishes an electrical contact with a respective one of the conductive pins of the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 when the first riser card 91 is inserted into the expansion slot 2. In this embodiment, the first slot 911 of the first riser card 91 complies with the PCIEx1 specification. The second slot 912 of the first riser card 91 complies with the PCI specification. The third slot 913 of the first riser card complies with the ADD2-R specification. Accordingly, with the use of the first riser card 91, the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 is capable of supporting the PCIEx1 compliant interface card 81, the ADD2-R compliant interface card 82, and a PCI compliant interface card (not shown).

In an alternative embodiment, the first slot 911 of the first riser card 91 complies with the PCIEx1 specification. The second slot 912 of the first riser card 91 complies with the PCI specification. The third slot 913 of the first riser card complies with the PCIEx4 and ADD2 non-lane-reversed (ADD2-N) specification.

Similarly, the second riser card 92 includes conductive pins 920 and three slots 921, 922, 923. Each of the conductive pins 920 of the second riser card 92 establishes an electrical contact with a respective one of the conductive pins of the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 when the second riser card 92 is inserted into the expansion slot 2. In this embodiment, the first slot 921 of the second riser card 92 complies with the PCIEx1 specification. The second slot 922 of the second riser card 92 complies with the PCI specification. The third slot 923 of the second riser card 92 complies with the ADD2-R specification. Accordingly, with the use of the second riser card 92, the expansion slot 2 of the computer motherboard 1 is capable of supporting the PCIEx1 compliant card 81, the ADD2-R compliant interface card 82, and the PCI compliant interface card.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A computer motherboard, comprising: an expansion slot complying with the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express x1 (PCIEx1) specification and the Advance Digital Display 2 lane-reversed (ADD2-R) specification, and including a set of conductive pins that complies with the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) specification.
 2. A motherboard assembly, comprising: a computer motherboard; an expansion slot provided on said computer motherboard, complying with the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express x1 (PCIEx1) specification and the Advance Digital Display 2 lane-reversed (ADD2-R) specification, and including a set of conductive pins that complies with the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) specification; and a first riser card inserted removably into said expansion slot, and including a first slot that complies with the PCIEx1 specification, and a second slot that complies with the PCI specification.
 3. The motherboard assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first riser card further includes a third slot that complies with the ADD2-R specification.
 4. The motherboard assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first riser card further includes a third slot that complies with the PCIEx4 specification and the ADD2 non-lane-reversed (ADD2-N) specification.
 5. The motherboard assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second riser card inserted removably into said expansion slot, and including a first slot that complies with the PCIEx1 specification, a second slot that complies with the PCI specification, and a third slot that complies with the ADD2-R specification. 